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Beat the Streak leader's run reaches 42 games

Pedroia comes through in Brown's quest for $5.6 million payout

Current Beat the Streak leader Aaron Brown went with Dustin Pedroia on Sunday, and the Red Sox second baseman helped him extend his streak to 42 games with a fifth-inning single against the Twins.

The 30-year-old from Sterling Heights, Mich., extended his streak to 41 games the night before, when the Tigers' Miguel Cabrera singled in the first inning against the Rangers in Arlington.

"Those guys are amazing to watch and their work ethic is remarkable," said Brown of the Tigers in an email to MLB.com, which often reaches out to BTS players once they approach 40 games, in an effort to shed some light on who they are and how they pick.

In Beat the Streak, participants try to establish a virtual "hitting streak" by picking one or two big leaguers per day, with their run continuing as long as their selections record at least one hit in that game. Nobody has ever matched Joe DiMaggio's magic number of 56 from 1941, but an average of about three per season reach 40, with the record of 49 set in 2007.

If Brown can get to 57, he would win a tidy sum of $5.6 million. As of now, Brown said his only plans for the money are to pay off his student loans. Just like any ballplayer worth his salt, he is living by the one-game-at-a-time motto.

"First step is getting to the record -- everything else will play itself out after that," he said.

Brown is the director of school development for My Virtual Academy, an online schooling option for students in Grades 6-12. He also serves as an assistant baseball coach for Parkway Christian School.

An avid baseball fan, Brown played the game through high school and has attended Tigers game at home, as well as on the road in Boston, Chicago and New York. He went to his first MLB playoff game last year, when the Tigers hosted the A's in the American League Division Series.

His fandom comes through in BTS, which he is playing for the second year. Brown's methods might not be complicated, but he certainly knows whom to entrust with his streak.

"Usually, I just pick someone who is on the top pick list depending upon their matchup," he said. "When all else fails from that list, Miguel Cabrera or Prince Fielder have been my go-to guys this season. Hopefully, this 'strategy' gets me to 57 games."

Andrew Simon is a reporter for MLB.com. Follow him on Twitter @HitTheCutoff. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.